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2013-01-05T13:14:00.002-08:00

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2012 April Product Recalls

2012-04-28T14:04:00.002-07:00

2012 April Product Recalls

2012 April product recalls – Consumers saw everything from dog food to almonds to grass trimmers recalled this month. These are the April recalls Keep reading to see what other products were pulled from store shelves in April.

April 2012 food recalls, Dole Fresh Vegetables recalled several hundred cases of its Seven Lettuces salad due to possible contamination. dole salad recall + 756 cases, dole salad recall + 71430 01057,

Additional recalls:

Approximately 16,890 pounds of Stouffer’s Lasagna (stouffer’s lasagna italiano + 7991). stouffer’s lasagna italiano + stuffed peppers recall,
Three kinds of M.E. Thompson sandwiches due to possible contamination. m.e. thompson sandwiches + listeria,
Uncoded, 10.6-ounce containers of Peacock Brand preserved apricots due to an undeclared allergen. peacock apricots recall + sulfites,
Approximately 205 2-ounce bags of Premium Kansas City Style Barbeque almonds due to an undeclared ingredient. harry & david barbeque almonds recall + undeclared peanuts,
Mission Foods taco dinner kits sold at grocery stores across the country. What is the problem? mission foods taco dinner undeclared milk,
Full Circle Concierge Snack Nut Blend (full circle nut blend lunds stores and weis markets) due to undeclared ingredients. full circle nut blend soy & milk,
Several kinds of Mastihashop Brand pies, pastas and breads because of undeclared allergens. mastihashop + undeclared allergens,
Two flavors (fisher vanilla bean and cocoa mocha almonds) of Fisher Almonds sold in 10-ounce containers. fisher almonds recall + undeclared soy,
Several flavors of Knott’s Berry Farm shortbread cookies due to an undeclared allergen. knott’s berry farm cookies recall undeclared milk,
Approximately 3,000 cases of Planters cocktail peanuts (planters cocktail peanuts + 2900007212). What was discovered? Planters cocktail peanuts exposed to water not intended for use in food,
Rajbhog Foods’ frozen vegetable biryani because it contains an undeclared ingredient. vegetable biryani recall + cashews,
Packages of Food Lion taco dinners (food lion taco dinner recall + 3582605118). food lion taco dinner recall + undeclared milk,
Boxes of Glazers Donuts because of an undeclared ingredient. glazers donuts recall + egg,
Several kinds of Crispy cookies and rusk (what’s that?) sold in several states. What’s the problem? crispy brand recall + milk and almonds,
One lot (Los Olivos Pan de Torta recall + 50912) of 16-ounce packages of Los Olivos Pan de Torta bread. Los Olivos Pan de Torta recall + undeclared milk,
Kypoyka Bisquits (Kypoyka Bisquits sold in new york and florida) due to an undeclared ingredient. Kypoyka Bisquits + undeclared eggs,
Bottles of Odwalla Chocolate Protein Monster beverage.Do you know what happened? odwalla chocolate protein monster allergic reactions,
Star Light coconut candy (star light coconut candy sold in new york and ohio) due to an undeclared ingredient. star light coconut candy undeclared milk,

April 2012 children’s gear recalls, Todson Inc. recalled about 40,000 bicycle child carrier seats after two reports of injuries to children. todson child carrier seats + near amputation, todson + child’s fingertips can be caught in the hinge mechanism,

About 16,700 Nan Far Woodworking’s Rockland Furniture drop-side cribs due to possible hazards. nan far woodworking cribs recalled, nan far woodworking cribs drop sides can malfunction,

April 2012 children’s clothing and toy recalls, Happy Shirts recalled about 9,000 Big Movers Super Car toy trucks after reports of fires. They were gifts with purchase of Big Movers T-shirts. Big Movers Super Car toy trucks,

April 2012 pharmaceutical recalls, American Regent recalled three lots (american regent + 1662 + 1679 + 1683) of its Cyanocobalamin injection due to possible sterility issues. What could go wrong? american regent cracks can form in heel and sides of vials,
One lot (hospira morphine + 10830LL) of Hospira morphine sulfate injection. Do you know why? hospira morphine + customer report of two Carpujects syringes containing more than 1 mL,

April 2012 meat recalls, Moon Marine USA recalled 58,828 pounds of its frozen raw yellowfin tuna after it was linked to a salmonella outbreak across several states. How many illnesses have been reported? moon marine tuna recall 116 people,

Additional recalls:

Approximately 2,057 pounds (town & country beef recall + 9710) of Town & Country ground and tenderized beef products. town & country beef recall + e. coli,
About 50,820 pounds of Steamed BBQ Flavored Pork Buns (steamed pork buns + 34064) due to an undeclared ingredient. steamed pork buns recall + msg,
About 5,400 pounds of Al Baghdadi potato chops due to labeling issues. al baghdadi potato chops misbranding, Where were they sold? al baghdadi potato chops + Arizona, Illinois and Michigan,
Several kinds of Import Foods’ smoked fish due to possible contamination. import foods smoked fish recall, import foods smoked fish recall + uneviscerated,

April 2012 electrical recalls, Viking Range recalled about 2,000 dishwashers after several reports of fires. viking range dishwasher recall, What can go wrong? viking dishwasher electrical component can overheat,
About 19,500 grass trimmers and 6,500 hedge trimmers (see a photo) made by Husqvarna. Husqvarna trimmer recall + fire hazard,

April 2012 vehicle recalls, Club Car recalled about 100 of its utility and transport vehicles due to problems with the brake pedals. Club Car brake pedal mounting blocks can crack and separate,

Additional recalls:

About 4,300 Baja Motorsports dirt bikes do you know why? Baja Motorsports dirt bikes + fuel tank can leak,
About 60 model years 2010-2011 Rolls Royce Ghosts due to circuit board issues. rolls royce ghost circuit board recall,
Approximately 2,800 model years 2011-2012 BMW cars. bmw circuit board recall
About 3,300 2010 Can-Am Spyder roadsters due to brake pedal problems. 2010 Can-Am Spyder brake recall,
About 672 model year 2012 Toyota Tacoma trucks. 2012 toyota tacoma recall tire placards,
Nearly 50 model years 2009-2010 Mobility Conquest trike motorcycles due to brake line issues. 2009 2010 mobility conquest trike brake line recall,
About 50,000 model years 2011-2012 GM crossover vehicles (gm crossover recall) due to problems with the windshield wipers. do you know what can happen? gm recall + snow or ice build up on windshield,
Volkswagen recalled 15 of its 2012 Routan minivans. 2012 Routan rear hub recall,
About 150 model year 2012 Volkswagen Passats due to diesel fuel filter issues. 2012 volkswagen passat diesel fuel filter recall,
More than 140,000 2012 Ford Focus sedans due to faulty windshield wipers. 2012 ford focus windshield wiper recall,
Nearly 2,000 model year 2012 Jeep Compass and Patriot SUVs because of possible fire hazard. 2012 jeep patriot and compass fuel leak recall,
Almost 300 model year 2012 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan minivans. 2012 chrysler town & country, 2012 Dodge Caravan, 2012 town & country and Dodge Caravan rear suspension recall,

April 2012 consumer product recalls, Office Depot recalled more than 300,000 Biella leather desk chairs because they can pose a fall hazard to consumers. office depot desk chair seat plate to the gas lift can fail, office depot desk chair recall + minor contusions and abrasions,

Additional recalls:

About 100 Air Venturi Evanix Speed and Conquest air rifles due to safety switch issues. air venturi evanix air rifles safety switch recall
Approximately 600 Specialized Bicycle Components bike brake levers. specialized bicycle components recall + crash hazard,
About 17,000 SR Suntour suspension forks found on GT, Giant and Trek bicycles. Do you know what could go wrong? SR Suntour internal support tubes can break,
Approximately 4,100 model year 2010-2012 Public Bikes bicycles after reports of cracking pedals. public bikes pedal recall, public bikes recall no injuries,
More than 10,000 West Elm folding chairs due to reports of collapsing chairs. west elm folding chairs fall hazard recall,
Approximately 300 Enesco “Any Wine Will Do” ceramic wine goblets. Do you know why? wine goblets may exceed FDA guidance levels for leachable lead and cadmium,
Five lots of Kaytee Exact Hand Feeding Baby Bird and Baby Macaw Formula. What is the problem? kaytee baby bird formula recall + high levels of vitamin D,
Several sizes of Diamond Naturals lamb and rice dry dog food bags due to possible contamination. diamond naturals pet food salmonella recall.

Ann Curry birthplace

2012-03-16T03:08:00.001-07:00

Ann Curry birthplace

Ann Curry birthplace - Ann Curry is an American television journalist. She grew up as an army brat, moving every few years, eventually graduating from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism in 1978. After interning, she became the first female news reporter for KGW in Portland.
Curry started with NBC in 1990, moving up to anchor Dateline NBC. In 2011, she began co-anhoring NBC's Today program.Television journalist. Born November 19, 1956 in the U.S. Territory of Guam. Ann Curry??s father was an American of predominantly French and Scots-Irish descent who met her Japanese mother during the U.S. occupation of Japan following World War II. Her childhood followed her father??s military career, and she was raised in San Diego and Alameda, California, Japan, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Ashland, Oregon. She graduated from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication in 1978.

In 1978, Ann Curry took an internship at KTVL in Medford, Oregon, eventually becoming the station's first female news reporter. In 1981, she took a three-year post as a reporter and anchor at KGW in Portland. She then moved to Los Angeles, where she was a reporter for KCBS-TV from 1984 to 1990. While there, she won two Emmy Awards.

In 1990, Ann Curry signed on with NBC news, first working as the network??s Chicago correspondent and then anchoring NBC News at Sunrise from 1991 to 1996. She also served as a replacement anchor and newsreader for the Today show. In 2005, she joined Stone Phillips as co-host of Dateline NBC, while continuing as news anchor at Today. Curry has earned a reputation for her coverage of global humanitarian crises from such hot spots as Baghdad, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, Albania and Darfur.

Throughout her career, Ann Curry has landed several exclusive interviews, including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Chadian President Idrsiss Deby. She also conducted the first exclusive interview with General Tommy Franks before the outbreak of the war in Iraq. Other notable interviews include Liberia's Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first female elected President of an African nation; Thomas Hamill, the Halliburton truck driver who escaped captivity in Iraq; and accused spy Wen Ho Lee after he was cleared of all charges of espionage against the United States.

Ann Curry is married to software executive Brian Ross. The couple lives in New York City with their two children, McKenzie and Walker.As one of the longest serving anchors on "Today," Curry started her journey in smaller markets on the West Coast, but she's originally from another country.

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Giada De Laurentiis Birthplace

2012-03-16T03:03:00.000-07:00

Giada De Laurentiis Birthplace

Giada De Laurentiis Birthplace - The granddaughter of famed producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada De Laurentiis was born on August 22, 1970, in Rome, Italy. She moved to the United States at the age of 7. Inheriting a passion for cooking,
De Laurentiis studied at Le Cordon Bleu. She worked as a caterer before landing her first cooking show, Everyday Italian. Today she is a best-selling author and well-known culinary personality.Giada De Laurentiis comes from a show business family. Her mother, Veronica De Laurentiis, is an actress, and her father, Alex De Benedetti, is an actor and producer. Her grandfather, Dino De Laurentiis, was a famous film producer and her grandmother, Silvana Mangano, was a popular Italian movie star.

At the age of 7, De Laurentiis moved to the United States. She and her family soon settled in Los Angeles. De Laurentiis did not receive the warmest of welcomes in her new country. She "didn't speak a word of English, so the kids at school tormented me," she later explained. "It was horrifying the names they called me, and the teachers never really did a thing to stop it."

De Laurentiis found comfort in her family, and their shared passion for food. Her great-grandfather sold pasta in Italy, and nearly every Sunday her family gathered at her grandfather's house for lunch. There, De Laurentiis helped prepare the meal, sometimes handling the dessert course for the gathering. She also often visited her grandfather's restaurant, DDL Foodshow. The TV food chef seems to make cooking look simple (find her recipes), which could be a result of her Italian roots.

Warren Buffett Birthplace

2012-03-16T02:55:00.000-07:00

Warren Buffett Birthplace

Warren Buffett Birthplace - Warren Buffett, Businessman and investor Warren Buffett was born on August 30,1930, in Omaha, Nebraska. Investing by age 11, Buffett was running a small business at 13. Buffett later started the firm Buffett Partnership in Omaha, with huge success.
In 2006, Buffett announced that he would give his entire fortune away to charity (est. $62 bil.), the largest act of charitable giving in United States history.usinessman and investor. Born Warren Edward Buffett on August 30,1930, in Omaha, Nebraska. Buffett's father Howard worked as stockbroker and served as U.S. Congressman. His mother, Leila Stahl Buffett, was a homemaker. Buffett was the second of three children and the only boy.

Buffett demonstrated a knack for financial and business matters early on in his childhood. Friends and acquaintances have said the young boy was a mathematical prodigy, and was able to add large columns of numbers in his head-a talent he still occasionally shows off to friends and business associates.

Warren often visited his father's stockbrokerage shop as a child, and chalked in the stock prices on the blackboard in the office. At 11 years old he made his first investment; he bought three shares of Cities Service Preferred at $38 per share. The stock quickly dropped to only $27, but Buffett held on tenaciously until they reached $40. He sold his shares at a small profit, but regretted the decision when Cities Service shot up to nearly $200 a share.

Famous birthplaces

2012-03-16T01:48:00.000-07:00

Famous birthplaces

Famous birthplaces - Where were they born? Some say you can tell a lot about a person by where they came from. Maybe it's their accent or the way they dress, but many people can't hide their roots. Find out where some of our favorite famous people were born.

Ben Affleck

Benjamin Geza Affleck was born on August 15, 1972 in Berkeley, California, USA but raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. He was born to parents Tim Affleck, a social worker, who is now divorced from Ben's mother Chris Affleck (nee' Boldt) a school teacher. Ben also has a younger brother, actor Casey Affleck, who was born in 1975. Ben wanted to be an actor ever since he could remember and his first acting experience was for a Burger King commercial, when he was on the PBS mini-series "The Voyage of the Mimi" (1984). It was also at that age when Ben met his lifelong friend and fellow actor, Matt Damon. They played little league together and took drama classes together. Ben's teen years consisted of mainly TV movies and small television appearances including Hands of a Stranger (1987) (TV) and "The Second Voyage of the Mimi" (1988). He made his big introduction into feature films in 1993 when he was cast in Dazed and Confused (1993). After that, he did mostly independent films like Kevin Smith's Mallrats (1995) and Chasing Amy (1997) which were great for Ben's career, receiving renowned appreciation for his works at the Sundance film festival. But the success he was having in independent films didn't last much longer and things got a little shaky for Ben. He was living in an apartment with his brother Casey and friend Matt, getting tired of being turned down for the big roles in films and being given the forgettable supporting ones. Since Matt was having the same trouble, they decided to write their own script, where they could call all the shots. So, after finishing the script for Good Will Hunting (1997), they gave it to their agent Patrick Whitesell, who showed it to a few Hollywood studios, finally being accepted by Castlerock. It was great news for the two but Castlerock wasn't willing to give Ben and Matt the control over the project they were hoping for. It was friend Kevin Smith who took it to the head of Miramax who bought the script giving Ben and Matt the control they wanted and, in December of 1997, Good Will Hunting (1997) was released, making the two unknown actors famous. The film was nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won two, including Best Original Screenplay for Ben and Matt. The film marked Ben's breakthrough role, in which he was given for the first time the chance to choose roles instead of having to go through grueling auditions constantly. He chose such roles in the blockbusters Armageddon (1998/I), Shakespeare in Love (1998) and Pearl Harbor (2001). With these hits to his credit, Hollywood can't seem to get enough of Ben, with directors wanting him in their movies and companies wanting his screenplays. The actor, who won an Oscar for co-writing a film, always seems to represent Boston, but he's originally from the opposite side of the country

Maya Angelou

Writer and African American activist Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Maya Angelou's five autobiographical novels were met with critical and popular success. Her volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Die was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. In 1993, Angelou wrote a poem for Clinton's inauguration. In 2008, she earned a NAACP Award.

Writer, dancer, African-American activist. Born Marguerite Johnson on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Angelou spent her difficult formative years moving back and forth between her mother's and grandmother's. At age eight, she was raped by her mother's boyfriend, who was subsequently killed by her uncles. The event caused the young girl to go mute for nearly six years, and her teens and early twenties were spent as a dancer, filled with isolation and experimentation.

At 16 she gave birth to a son, Guy, after which she toured Europe and Africa in the musical Porgy and Bess. On returning to New York City in the 1960s, she joined the Harlem Writers Guild and became involved in black activism. She then spent several years in Ghana as editor of African Review, where she began to take her life, her activism and her writing more seriously.

Maya Angelou's five-volume autobiography commenced with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1970. The memoirs chronicle different eras of her life and were met with critical and popular success. Later books include All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986) and My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken and Me (1994). She has published several volumes of verse, including And Still I Rise (1987) and Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou (1995). Her volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Die (1971), was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

In 1993, Angelou read 'On the Pulse of Morning' at Bill Clinton's Presidential inauguration, a poem written at his request. It was only the second time a poet had been asked to read at an inauguration, the first being Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy. In 2006, Angelou agreed to host a weekly radio show on XM Satellite Radio's Oprah & Friends channel. She also teaches at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, where she has a lifetime position as the Reynolds professor of American studies.

Drawing from her own life experiences, Angelou published Letter to My Daughter in 2008. She wrote the work for the daughter she never had, sharing anecdotes and offering advice. Well received, the book earned several honors, including a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work-Non-Fiction. This well-known poet is recognized all over the world for her work, but she has humble beginnings in the Midwest.

Warren Buffett

Businessman and investor Warren Buffett was born on August 30,1930, in Omaha, Nebraska. Investing by age 11, Buffett was running a small business at 13. Buffett later started the firm Buffett Partnership in Omaha, with huge success. In 2006, Buffett announced that he would give his entire fortune away to charity (est. $62 bil.), the largest act of charitable giving in United States history.usinessman and investor. Born Warren Edward Buffett on August 30,1930, in Omaha, Nebraska. Buffett's father Howard worked as stockbroker and served as U.S. Congressman. His mother, Leila Stahl Buffett, was a homemaker. Buffett was the second of three children and the only boy.

Buffett demonstrated a knack for financial and business matters early on in his childhood. Friends and acquaintances have said the young boy was a mathematical prodigy, and was able to add large columns of numbers in his head-a talent he still occasionally shows off to friends and business associates.

Warren often visited his father's stockbrokerage shop as a child, and chalked in the stock prices on the blackboard in the office. At 11 years old he made his first investment; he bought three shares of Cities Service Preferred at $38 per share. The stock quickly dropped to only $27, but Buffett held on tenaciously until they reached $40. He sold his shares at a small profit, but regretted the decision when Cities Service shot up to nearly $200 a share. He later cited this experience as an early lesson in patience in investing. Known as one of the richest men in the world, Buffett has several other nicknames from the city where he was born.

Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert is a political satirist, writer and television host. After earning a degree in theatre from Northwestern, he joined the Second City comedy improv troupe in Chicago. In 1997, he started at The Daily Show, gaining fame for portraying a correspondent in news parodies. In 2005, he became the host of The Colbert Report, taking on the guise of a self-important conservative commentator.(born May 13, 1964, Washington, D.C., U.S.) American actor and comedian, who was perhaps best known as the host of The Colbert Report, an ironic send-up of television news programs.

After graduating with a theatre degree (1986) from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., Colbert joined the Second City comedy improv troupe in Chicago. There he met Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello, with whom he created the award-winning sketch show Exit 57 (1995–96) and the bizarre sitcom Strangers with Candy (1999–2000), both on the Comedy Central cable network. Colbert worked on several other television projects before joining in 1997 Comedy Central's The Daily Show, which was hosted by Jon Stewart. For eight years he was a correspondent and writer on the news parody, where he became a fan favourite for such segments as “This Week in God,” a look at religious issues in the news, and “Even Stephven,” a mock debate between Colbert and fellow correspondent Steve Carell.

In 2005 Colbert became the host of his own spin-off show, The Colbert Report, and took on the guise of a self-important conservative commentator, a persona meant to parody certain cable-news personalities, most notably Bill O'Reilly. During his first show Colbert coined the word truthiness to express a kind of unchanging “truth” derived from a gut feeling rather than from any known facts. (Truthiness was named the Word of the Year in 2005 by the American Dialect Society.) The neologism became the organizing principle for the show, where Colbert's rants about political and cultural issues and his expressions of personal idiosyncrasies (such as an unyielding hatred of bears) were treated with the same amount of seriousness. The Colbert Report earned various honours, including Emmy Awards (2008 and 2010) for outstanding writing and a Peabody Award (2008).

In April 2006 Colbert blurred the line between entertainment and political critique in a very public forum when he was the featured speaker at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner—an annual event that traditionally featured good-natured ribbing between the president and the press. He performed in character, lampooning George W. Bush's administration and the mainstream media with a degree of harshness (or candor, depending on one's political leanings) not common to the event. The resulting publicity raised Colbert's national profile and helped turn him into something of a political tastemaker for many young liberals. The host of a popular show pokes fun at hot topics from all over the world, but most of his material covers the town he came from

Ann Curry

Ann Curry is an American television journalist. She grew up as an army brat, moving every few years, eventually graduating from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism in 1978. After interning, she became the first female news reporter for KGW in Portland. Curry started with NBC in 1990, moving up to anchor Dateline NBC. In 2011, she began co-anhoring NBC's Today program.Television journalist. Born November 19, 1956 in the U.S. Territory of Guam. Ann Curry??s father was an American of predominantly French and Scots-Irish descent who met her Japanese mother during the U.S. occupation of Japan following World War II. Her childhood followed her father??s military career, and she was raised in San Diego and Alameda, California, Japan, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Ashland, Oregon. She graduated from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication in 1978.

In 1978, Ann Curry took an internship at KTVL in Medford, Oregon, eventually becoming the station's first female news reporter. In 1981, she took a three-year post as a reporter and anchor at KGW in Portland. She then moved to Los Angeles, where she was a reporter for KCBS-TV from 1984 to 1990. While there, she won two Emmy Awards.

In 1990, Ann Curry signed on with NBC news, first working as the network??s Chicago correspondent and then anchoring NBC News at Sunrise from 1991 to 1996. She also served as a replacement anchor and newsreader for the Today show. In 2005, she joined Stone Phillips as co-host of Dateline NBC, while continuing as news anchor at Today. Curry has earned a reputation for her coverage of global humanitarian crises from such hot spots as Baghdad, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, Albania and Darfur.

Throughout her career, Ann Curry has landed several exclusive interviews, including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Chadian President Idrsiss Deby. She also conducted the first exclusive interview with General Tommy Franks before the outbreak of the war in Iraq. Other notable interviews include Liberia's Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first female elected President of an African nation; Thomas Hamill, the Halliburton truck driver who escaped captivity in Iraq; and accused spy Wen Ho Lee after he was cleared of all charges of espionage against the United States.

Ann Curry is married to software executive Brian Ross. The couple lives in New York City with their two children, McKenzie and Walker.As one of the longest serving anchors on "Today," Curry started her journey in smaller markets on the West Coast, but she's originally from another country.

Tom Cruise

Born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, on July 3rd, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, Tom Cruise became interested in acting when he won the lead in a high school production of Guys and Dolls. His role in 1981's Taps, his second film, caught critics' attention, and he eventually went on to star in many box office hits. He is currently married to his third wife, Katie Holmes, with whom he has a daughter, Suri.Actor. Born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, on July 3rd, 1962, in Syracuse, New York, to Mary and Thomas Mapother. Cruise's mother was an amateur actress and schoolteacher, and his father was an electrical engineer. His family moved around a great deal when Cruise was a child in order to accommodate his father's career.

Cruise's parents divorced when he was 11, and the children moved with their mother to Louisville, Kentucky, and then to Glen Ridge, New Jersey, after her remarriage. Like his mother and three sisters, Cruise suffered from dyslexia, which made academic success difficult for him. He excelled in athletics, however, and considered pursuing a career in professional wrestling until a knee injury sidelined him during high school.

At age 14, Cruise enrolled in a Franciscan seminary with thoughts of becoming a priest, but he left after a year. When he was 16, a teacher encouraged him to participate in the school's production of the musical Guys and Dolls. After Cruise won the lead of Nathan Detroit, he found himself surprisingly at home on the stage, and a career was born. The Hollywood megastar spent some of his childhood in Canada, but he was born about 200 miles away from the area.

Hugh Hefner

Starting with $8000 raised from investors, Hugh Hefner transformed the adult entertainment industry with his ground breaking publication, Playboy. From the first issue featuring Marylin Monroe in 1953, Playboy has expanded into a multimillion dollar enterprise consisting of publication, internet and television ventures mirroring the personal life of its founder, considered a rebel in his own right.Magazine Publisher, Entrepreneur. Born April 9, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois. Hugh Marston Hefner was the elder of two sons born to Grace and Glenn Hefner, strict Methodists with deep Midwestern roots. Hefner went to Sayre Elementary School and then to Steinmetz High School on the west side of Chicago where, reportedly, his IQ was 152. His teachers, however, described him as "unenthusiastic." While in high school he founded a school newspaper, showing early signs of his journalistic talents.

Hefner served two years in the U.S. Army toward the end of World War II, and was discharged in 1946. He studied at the Chicago Art Institute for two years before enrolling at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he majored in psychology. In 1949, while in college, he met his first wife Mildred Williams. Hefner earned his bachelor's degree in 1950.

In the early 1950s, Hefner was leading a life typical of many of his peers. He was fresh out of college, young and ambitious, and in an entry-level job with a major corporation at the Chicago office of Esquire magazine. Esquire was a racy publication for men that had transformed itself into a refined periodical, featuring articles on everything from men's fashion to literary works by such writers as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. It also featured illustrations from pinup artists such as George Petty and Alberto Vargas. Hefner worked for Esquire as a promotional copywriter until 1953, when he left the magazine because he was denied a $5 raise. The founder of Playboy magazine has been living a wild life in his popular Los Angeles mansion, but he got his start in his Midwest hometown..

Michael Jordan

Professional basketball player Michael Jordan was born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn. Jordan left college after his junior year to join the NBA. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he helped the team make it to the playoffs. For his efforts there, he received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. With five regular-season MVPs and three All-Professional basketball player, Olympic athlete, businessperson, actor. Born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. Considered one of the best basketball players ever, Michael Jordan dominated the sport from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He led the Chicago Bulls to six national championships as well as earned the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Most Valuable Player Award five times.

Growing up in Wilmington, North Carolina, Jordan developed a competitive edge at an early age. He wanted to win every game he played. As his father James later noted, "What he does have is a competition problem. He was born with that...The person he tries to outdo most of the time is himself."

Jordan enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981 and soon became an important member of the school's basketball team. His team won the NCAA Division I championships in 1982 with Jordan scoring the final basket needed to defeat Georgetown University. He was also singled out as the NCAA College Player of the Year in 1983 and in 1984. During the summer of 1984, Jordan made his first appearance in the Olympics as a member of the U.S. basketball team, which won the gold at the games held in Los Angeles. Later Jordan helped the United States bring home the gold at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. The NBA living legend is known for his playing days with the Chicago Bulls – and his college alma mater – but he was born on the East Coast.

Stacy Keibler

Longtime WWE darling Stacy Keibler began entertaining wrestling fans in 1999 after winning a contest held by the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling's dance troupe, the Nitro Girls. Standing 5 feet 11 inches tall, however, lent itself to a different medium within the wrestling world; namely, inside of the ring. Nicknamed "Legs," Keibler was tall enough to step over the middle of the three ropes enclosing the ring. She went on to complete this rare feat many times throughout the course of her career with the WWE, more than occasionally to wrestle with a fellow WWE Diva (her competitors, among others, included Trish_Stratus, Lita, Molly Holly, and Victoria). Keibler's roots in dancing helped keep her in the spotlight after her contract with the WWE expired in 2006; ABC's popular Dancing With the Stars featured Keibler in its second season. Though she didn't win -- that honor went to Drew_Lachey and Cheryl_Burke -- she was undoubtedly one of the show's most talented contestants, and earned a rare perfect score from the judges for her samba early in the competition. Lately, the former WWE star has been seen on the red carpet with her Hollywood beau, but she stays connected to her birthplace.

Giada De Laurentiis

The granddaughter of famed producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada De Laurentiis was born on August 22, 1970, in Rome, Italy. She moved to the United States at the age of 7. Inheriting a passion for cooking, De Laurentiis studied at Le Cordon Bleu. She worked as a caterer before landing her first cooking show, Everyday Italian. Today she is a best-selling author and well-known culinary personality.Giada De Laurentiis comes from a show business family. Her mother, Veronica De Laurentiis, is an actress, and her father, Alex De Benedetti, is an actor and producer. Her grandfather, Dino De Laurentiis, was a famous film producer and her grandmother, Silvana Mangano, was a popular Italian movie star.

At the age of 7, De Laurentiis moved to the United States. She and her family soon settled in Los Angeles. De Laurentiis did not receive the warmest of welcomes in her new country. She "didn't speak a word of English, so the kids at school tormented me," she later explained. "It was horrifying the names they called me, and the teachers never really did a thing to stop it."

De Laurentiis found comfort in her family, and their shared passion for food. Her great-grandfather sold pasta in Italy, and nearly every Sunday her family gathered at her grandfather's house for lunch. There, De Laurentiis helped prepare the meal, sometimes handling the dessert course for the gathering. She also often visited her grandfather's restaurant, DDL Foodshow. The TV food chef seems to make cooking look simple (find her recipes), which could be a result of her Italian roots.

Eli Manning

Every football fan in America probably believes that Eli Manning is already established as a household name. New Yorkers are not an exception to these numbers. With more than 3,330 pass yards as his career stats so far, Eli Manning has made 23 touchdown passes ever since he debuted in the NFL in 2004 as the first draft pick during the first round.
Aside from being the quarterback for the New York Giants, who really is Eli Manning? For those football fanatics out there who are curious about the man behind jersey number 10, read on and learn some tidbits and facts about one of the most popular quarterbacks of the decade.
Eli was born Elisha Nelson Williams Manning on January 3, 1981 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His parents are Archie and Olivia, and he has two older brothers, Peyton and Cooper. It was said that football truly ran in the family, like it was in their blood. Their proud dad, Archie, already established his football career in his college at the University of Mississippi in the 1960’s. After being the quarterback for his college team, Archie was drafted into the NFL under the New Orleans Saints in the year 1971.
Even as children, Eli and his brothers already had exposure to football, although their dad gave them no pressure to pursue it. Peyton and Cooper, being more mature, went on to be popular football stars in their high school of Isidore Newman in New Orleans, Louisiana. Later on, the young Eli also showed promise as an athlete of the same caliber as his brothers.
When Eli went on to college at Ole Miss, which was the same alma mater as his father and older brother Cooper, he continued to pursue his love for the game. In 1998 Eli expressed his desire to be part of the Ole Miss Rebels by attending a football camp. From there on, the rest was history. By the year 2004, Eli was the number one draft pick in the first round, and he was welcomed by his first pro-team, the San Diego Chargers. During this draft, Eli was traded to the New York Giants in place of Philip Rivers from South Carolina State University.
New Yorkers and Giants fans from all over would never forget that February day at Super Bowl XLII when Eli and his team beat the New England Patriots 17 to 14. The New York Giants were welcomed by lavish celebrations, and even a visit to President Bush at the White House. In more recent news, Eli finally married his fiancée and long-term college girlfriend Abby McGrew in April of 2008. Their Mexican beach wedding was well publicized, with photos shown on many celebrity gossip shows. The two-time Super Bowl champ plays for the New York Giants, but he's well-known for being a Southern boy.

Lea Michele

Lea Michele was born August 29, 1986 in Bronx, New York. Her career-making turn occurred in 2006 with Spring Awakening, a rock musical, but left the cast in 2008. Moving out to Los Angeles,Michele sought out movie and television roles. One of her aspirations at the time was to get a guest spot on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Michele ended up getting a much more substantial role on Glee.Actress. Born Lea Michele Sarfati on August 29, 1986, in Bronx, New York. Sarfati discovered her passion for performing at an early age. Growing up in Tenafly, New Jersey, she was drawn to nearby New York City's vibrant theater scene. At the age of 8, Michele landed the role of young Cosette in the Broadway production of Les Miserables. She sang a song from Phantom of the Opera, the only musical she knew at the time, at her audition. Michele had gone to the audition to support a friend, but ended up landing the part herself.

The daughter of a deli owner and a nurse, Michele moved on to another Broadway production, Ragtime, in 1995. She played the Little Girl, the quiet daughter of a Jewish immigrant. The cast included such well-known Broadway talents as Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell. She landed another break in 2004 with a role in a revival of Fiddler on the Roof starring Alfred Molina. Accepted to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts that same year, Michele decided to forgo college to pursue her career.

Despite her success on the stage, Michele did not fit in easily at her high school. "I am an unconventional beauty. I grew up in a high school where if you didn't have a nose job and money and if you weren't thin, you weren't cool, popular, beautiful," she told USA Today. The "Glee" star and Broadway veteran didn't have to travel far to pursue her dreams of performing on the stage

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj, born Onika Tanya Maraj in 1984, grew up with an abusive, drug-addicted father. After attending La Guardia High School for the Arts, she was introduced to rapper Lil Wayne, who launched her career. Her 2010 debut album, Pink Friday, and her single "Your Love" topped Billboard's charts. A frequent "cameo" singer, Minaj's voice was featured in seven songs on Billboard's Hot 100 in 2010.Hip-hop artist, singer. Born Onika Tanya Maraj on December 8, 1984, in Queens, New York. Minaj's father was a severe drug addict with a long history of violence. At one point, he set fire to the family's home in a failed attempt to kill Minaj's mother. Those early struggles, Minaj has said, helped fuel her drive to rise above the life her parents knew. "I've always had this female-empowerment thing in the back of my mind," she told Details magazine, "because I wanted my mother to be stronger, and she couldn't be. I thought, 'If I'm successful, I can change her life.'"

To reach that point, however, the young Minaj developed personas for herself that would allow her to be a "new person." An early incarnation was someone she called "Cookie," then came "Harajuku Barbie," before finally settling on Nicki Minaj. "Fantasy was my reality," she has said. Minaj clearly had a knack for performance. At the age of 12 she authored her first rap, then went on to delve into acting at La Guardia High School of Music and Art, the school that inspired the movie Fame.

Determined to make it in the music business, Minaj took on backup singing roles for local New York City rappers. Soon, she began writing her own material. She was eventually discovered by Dirty Money CEO Fendi, who came across Minaj's MySpace page, loved what he heard, and immediately signed her to his label.

That connection led Minaj to Lil Wayne, who collaborated with her on a series of mix tapes, the first of which, Playtime is Over, was released in April 2007. The recording, and subsequent mixed tapes, showcased Minaj's female swagger and out-front style.

By early 2010, considerable anticipation had built up around Minaj's much discussed, much covered debut album, which was scheduled for release that fall. In April of that year, she released her first single, "Massive Attack." Two months later she won Best Hip-Hop Female at the annual BET Awards. She dedicated the award to Lil Wayne. The rapper known for her unique style grew up in a New York borough, but came from an island in the Caribbean.

Chad Ochocinco

Born on January 9, 1978 in Miami, Florida, Chad Ochocinco is the wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League, after playing college football for Oregon State. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl a total of six times, and All-Pro three times. He is also quite well known for his end zone celebrations. He legally changed his last name from Johnson to Ochocinco before the 2008 season kicked off to reflect the two number son his Bengals uniform (85). He is one of the contestants on the tenth season of Dancing with the Stars. Growing up, Ochocinco graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School in 1996. He then attended Langston University in Oklahoma but did not play football. He transferred to Santa Monica College a year later where he became teammates with future Carolina Panthers star wide receiver Steve Smith. He finally moved to Oregon State in 2000 after being intensely recruited. During his stint at Oregon State, he broke a school record for the longest touchdown reception with a 97-yard reception in a match against Stanford. Ochocinco was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he saw moderate playing time, catching 28 passes for 329 yards and one touchdown. In 2003, he recorded 1,355 receiving yards, a Bengals franchise record. In 2006, he signed on to extend his contract through 2011. An injury, however, had him sidelined for the first half of the 2006 season, catching only two touchdown passes and 483 yards. He had a breakout game, however, against the San Diego Chambers where he amassed 260 receiving yards and two touch downs. Outside statistics, he was also a fan favorite, finishing first in votes for wide receivers in the 2006 Pro Bowl. The NFL star played college football on the West Coast, but was born and raised in a busy city across the country

Natalie Portman

Born in Jerusalem on June 9, 1981, Natalie (Hershlag) Portman grew up on Long Island and began modeling at age 11. Her acclaimed movie debut was in The Professional (1994), and she was cast as Queen Amidala in the Star Wars prequels. While continuing her career,Portman earned a degree in psychology from Harvard. She won the 2010 Best Actress Oscar for playing a troubled dancer in Black Swan.Actress, model. Born on June 9, 1981 in Jerusalem, Israel. While she was a toddler, Portman's parents immigrated to the United States. Initially they resided in Washington D.C., and finally settled in Long Island, New York, where Natalie attended Syosset High School.

While at a local pizza parlor, Portman was discovered by a representative of Revlon cosmetics, who encouraged the 11-year-old to pursue a modeling career. However, Portman found modeling mundane, and decided to direct her efforts toward acting. Shortly after, she began working with the Usdan Theatre Arts Camp, where she appeared in a number of local productions.

Portman made her film debut in Luc Besson's memorable 1994 feature, The Professional. The demanding role, which featured her as hitman's apprentice, caught the attention of critics and audiences. The following year, she sustained her popularity with a brief but captivating performance as Al Pacino's troubled daughter in Heat (1995). The Oscar-winning actress moved around as a child, but has said her heart is in the religious city where she was born

Emma Stone

The physically stunning actress Emma Stone first made her mark among American audiences as an ingenue, via her involvement in the massively successful comedy Superbad (2007). The actress's combination of deadpan comic timing and undeniable beauty made her an instant hot property in Hollywood, and she was soon appearing in comic fare like The House Bunny and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, as well as the hugely successful horror comedy Zombieland (2009). By 2010, Stone had earned top billing status, and was starring in her own comedy -- a hilarious modern take on the Scarlet Letter called Easy A. The following year found Sone's star rising even further in the realm of comedy with roles in Friends with Benefits and Crazy, Stupid, Love, but it also proved to be the year in which the young actress branched more full force into drama, starring in the much anticipated adaptation of the Kathryn Stockett nove Known for her roles in "The Help" and "Superbad," Stone left her hometown at the age of 15 in order to chase her acting dream

Barbara Walters

Journalist Barbara Walters was born September 25, 1929, in Boston, Massachusetts. In the early 1950s, Walters wrote for the CBS's Morning Show. Throughout the 1960's and 1970's she developed her trademark interviewing style though long-standing jobs on NBC's Today show and ABC's 20/20. In 1997, Barbara Walters premiered a since popular talk show called The View.Journalist, writer. Born Barbara Jill Walters on September 25, 1929, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Dena Seletsky Walters and nightclub impresario Lou Walters. She had two siblings: older sister Jacqueline, who was born developmentally disabled and died in 1985, and brother Burton, who died of pneumonia in 1932. Walters was born Jewish, though her parents weren't practicing Jews.

In 1937, Lou Walters opened a chain of nightclubs that expanded his business from Boston, Massachusetts, to Miami Beach, Florida. As a result, Barbara attended Fieldston and Birch Wathen private schools in New York City, and graduated from Miami Beach High School in 1947. Barbara was surrounded by celebrities from an early age, which has been said to account for her relaxed manner when interviewing famous people.

Walters attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, graduating in 1953 with a bachelor's degree in English. After a brief stint as a secretary, she landed her first job in journalism as the assistant to publicity director and Republican activist Tex McCary of WRCA-TV. After sharpening her writing and producing skills at the NBC affiliate, Walters moved to CBS, where she wrote material for the network's Morning Show . In 1955, she married business executive Robert Henry Katz. They divorced in 1958. The longtime journalist and co-host of "The View" has interviewed many world leaders, and she was born in one of the oldest US cities.

Kanye West

Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 8, 1977. He left college to pursue a musical career, producing tracks for Jay-Z while polishing his demo. He released "The College Dropout" in 2002. It sold 2.6 million copies and won Best Rap Album. His follow-up releases have been equally successful and West has become a celebrity famous for his outrageous and entertaining statements.Rapper, record producer and singer. Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 8, 1977. His parents divorced when he was three. He was raised on Chicago's South Side by his mother, an English professor, and spent summers with his father, an award-winning photographer who became a church counselor.

West graduated from Polaris High School and completed one year of art school at Chicago State University. After spending time rapping and working with local artists, West moved to New York in 2001 to pursue his music career full time. Respected rapper Jay-Z hired him to produce songs for his album The Blueprint, which sold more than 420,000 copies in the first week alone. West went on to produce for a handful of stars including rapper Ludacris and singer Beyonce.

While serving as producer to the stars, West cut his own demo and began shopping it around. He signed a deal with Roc-A-Fella Records, Jay-Z's label, in 2002 and began recording in the studio.

On the way home from a session in Los Angeles, West fell asleep at the wheel and was involved in a head-on car collision that left him with a fractured jaw. The Grammy-winning rapper often refers to Chicago as his hometown, but he was actually born in a Southern city.

strategic petroleum reserve

2012-03-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

strategic petroleum reserve

strategic petroleum reserve - “Every time oil has been diverted or taken from the [Strategic Petroleum Reserve] — one or the other or both — the price at the pump has gone down,” she told reporters. “But even if you don’t subscribe to that, that at least puts a question mark to the speculators that you might do this.”
That’s the argument coming from three
House Democrats who have urged President Barack Obama to open up the 700-million-barrel reserve, the oil of which is stored in the Gulf of Mexico. The lawmakers – Vermont Rep. Peter Welch, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey – believe releasing even a part of the oil reserve will affect market speculation and bring down gas prices.

But House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said he’s hesitant to use the oil reserve except in emergencies, such as when the supply of oil is disrupted. Hoyer said that’s currently not the case. He is also skeptical that tapping the reserve would lower gas prices, saying the spike is being driven by speculation and unrest in the Middle East.

Gas is now averaging $3.74 per gallon of regular, which is about 30 cents higher than a month ago, according to the AAA.
When asked Thursday whether unleashing the oil reserve would lower gas prices, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) referenced his meeting with President Barack Obama on Wednesday, saying that he didn’t believe Obama thought that was a good idea.
“Just releasing [the Strategic Petroleum Reserve] without coordination with our allies around the world, all it does is, it shifts where the supply’s coming from,” Boehner told reporters. “So it didn’t appear to me that the president believed that using [the reserve] would have any meaningful effect on gas prices.”

flavor flav restaurants

2012-03-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

flavor flav restaurants

flavor flav restaurants - Flavor Flav chickens out of restaurant chain, Flavor Flav is getting out of the fried chicken business – and a potato salad is to blame. The Public Enemy MC has pulled out of a planned restaurant chain, citing mismanagement and the expiration date of his eatery's side-dishes.

"Let me be straight up with you," Flav told TMZ. On 2 April, he visited the flagship Flav's Fried Chicken, which opened in Clinton, Iowa in January. "I found potato salad that expired on 28 February," he explained, "and it's then when I realised I can't do business [there] and I really hope no one ate those potatoes."

The restaurant is now closing, with Flav pulling his name from the franchise. "I have to do whatever is possible for me to save my name and that's to shut the business down," he told Iowa network WQAD. "[Manager] Nick Cimino isn't running the business right."

Cimino has called Flav a "fraud", insisting the restaurant was his idea. "[He] wants to become a millionaire off my dime, off my ideas," he said. "I started this. I put together everything from the menu to the colour of the building to the sign." But Cimino's management may have been part of the problem: he was recently investigated after employees' pay cheques bounced. "A lot of employees that weren't getting paid," Flav said. Cimino, who stood to collect 40% of profits, said it was a "credit card glitch".

Last week, despite the imminent failure of his chicken shack, Flav announced a new restaurant venture in Las Vegas. Flavor Flav's House of Flavor will reportedly open there on 30 May. "I came up with the idea and now he wants to run without me?" Cimino said. "That's fine ... I'm just glad I'm free of somebody like Flavor Flav."

huggies ad backlash

2012-03-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

huggies ad backlash

huggies ad backlash - Huggies Ad Backlash Sweeps Web As Angry Dads Protest A recent Huggies ad campaign has many fathers angry at what they say is a depiction of dads as “bumbling idiots” rather than active parents.

The ad, which urges consumers to “Put dad to the test”, shows a group of dads who are so preoccupied with watching sports that they forget to change their babies’ diapers. The intended message, according to a Kimberly-Clarke spokesperson, is to “demonstrate the performance of our Huggies diapers and baby wipes in real life situations” rather than make fun of men’s childrearing abilities or to draw on stereotypes.

Many fathers don’t see it that way, however, and an online petition has been created to get Huggies to stop airing the commercial, although the company claims changes have already been made to the ad.

As one father told CBS recently, it seems like something we might have seen 30 years ago rather than in modern times, when fathers are stepping into bigger caregiver roles than ever before. Huggies has taken to social media to defend themselves, especially after commenters on Facebook expressed their disgust with the ads.

“Your ad campaign disgusts me,” wrote James Garcia. “My wife and I share the responsibilities of the house. I cook, grocery shop, clean, and we take care of our daughter equally. At times I have been at home with my daughter more than my wife has been, after she had to return to work and I had a lot of time off. It is insulting to all fathers to portray us as a bunch of bumbling idiots.”

This is a topic I could write about for days, as it seems to me that commercials and ads are always portraying outdated gender roles and stereotypes. Carl’s Jr. uses sex to sell hamburgers. Men are either sexist or clueless (or a combination of both) and women are either shrews or sex objects. Worse is when an ad has a mix of all those things, which frankly seems to be the norm these days. Ad companies seem to be holding onto the belief that what’s worked in the past will work forever. Consumers are wising up to their tactics, and this latest faux-pas is just an example of how far companies will go to market their product. We can only hope that they’ll wise up and stop using antiquated methods, especially in the wake of so much backlash.

gallagher heart attack

2012-03-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

gallagher heart attack

gallagher heart attack - Comedian Gallagher recovering after heart attack, The comedian Gallagher is hospitalized in stable condition after suffering a heart attack at a North Dallas bar before going on stage for a show.

Gallagher's promotional manager, Christine Scherrer, says the 65-year-old is sedated and "slowly recovering" after collapsing Wednesday night.

Marc Cummins, the manager of Coach Joe's Hat Tricks in Lewisville, says the comedian collapsed in his office about 20 minutes before a show that was due to start at 9 p.m.

Cummins says the club's promotions director performed CPR on Gallagher before paramedics arrived.

Last March, the comedian best known for smashing watermelons with a sledgehammer suffered a minor heart attack after collapsing during a performance in Minnesota. His full name is Leo Anthony Gallagher.

anti-smoking campaign

2012-03-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

anti-smoking campaign

anti-smoking campaign - CDC launching graphic anti-smoking ad campaign, Tobacco taxes and smoking bans haven't budged the U.S. smoking rate in years. Now the government is trying to shock smokers into quitting with a graphic nationwide advertising campaign.

The billboards and print, radio and TV ads show people whose smoking resulted in heart surgery, a tracheotomy, lost limbs or paralysis. The $54 million campaign is the largest and starkest anti-smoking push by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its first national advertising effort.

The agency is hoping the spots, which begin Monday, will persuade as many as 50,000 Americans to stop smoking.

"This is incredibly important. It's not every day we release something that will save thousands of lives," CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said in a telephone interview.

That bold prediction is based on earlier research that found aggressive anti-smoking campaigns using hard-hitting images sometimes led to decreases in smoking. After decades of decline, the U.S. smoking rate has stalled at about 20 percent in recent years.

Advocates say it's important to jolt a weary public that has been listening to government warnings about the dangers of smoking for nearly 50 years.

"There is an urgent need for this media campaign," Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said in a statement.

The CDC was set to announce the three-month campaign on Thursday.

One of the print ads features Shawn Wright from Washington state who had a tracheotomy after being diagnosed with head and neck cancer four years ago. The ad shows the 50-year-old shaving, his razor moving down toward a red gaping hole at the base of his neck that he uses to speak and breathe.

An advertising firm, Arnold Worldwide, found Wright and about a dozen others who developed cancer or other health problems after smoking for the ads.

Federal health agencies have gradually embraced graphic anti-smoking imagery. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved nine images to be displayed on cigarette packages. Among them were a man exhaling cigarette smoke through a tracheotomy hole in his throat, and a diseased mouth with what appear to be cancerous lesions.

Last month, a federal judge blocked the requirement that tobacco companies put the images on their packages, saying it was unconstitutional.

Graphic ads are meant to create an image so striking that smokers and would-be smokers will think of it whenever they have an urge to buy a pack of cigarettes, said Glenn Leshner, a University of Missouri researcher who has studied the effectiveness of anti-smoking ads.

Leshner and his colleagues found that some ads are so disturbing that people reacted by turning away from the message rather than listening. So while spots can shock viewers into paying attention, they also have to encourage people that quitting is possible, he said.

The CDC campaign includes information on a national quit line and offers advice on how to kick the habit, CDC officials said.

ides of march history

2012-03-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

ides of march history

ides of march history - Beware the Ides of March? A look at March 15 in history, Roman dictator Julius Caesar is assassinated by a group of Roman senators including Cassius and his friend Brutus. Caesar had been forewarned of the 'Ides of March.'I don't think
I was supposed to find this crux of this film balanced on so ridiculous a point that I would actually complain about it as it was playing out. The greatest media mind in recent campaign history is such a dolt that he cannot fathom a plausible reason why he would meet with someone who holds a position with an opposing candidate, never minding that the story has introduced three strong reasons for him to do exactly that. At the same time, his capability is not so great that his job allows for an insignificant slight to his immediate boss (who is depicted, sadly, as not really doing anything) nor is his complete and total shift in character so repugnant that it keeps him from being let back into the fold and given more authority.

The Ides of March (2011) doesn't want to spend much time building a plausible structure to its story. I'm sure those who worked on it found it far too clever to worry about the glaring problems with it. Likewise, they overlooked the fact that Ryan Gosling can do little more than look good – occasionally adrift – in the presence of actors who actually inhabit their roles, such as Philip Seymore Hoffman and Paul Giamatti. The best Gosling can do is convince the audience is that young women really are eager to fuck him, but he plays the morning after as though he were a nervous high school junior (good grades, popular, but never had much luck with the ladies) instead of one of the two mean leading a Presidential election campaign.
Most of the characters get to be stupid to allow the weakly structured story to roll forward. Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) gets to deliver some poorly crafted speeches well, but he doesn't seem to be allowed to think. This should make him a poor candidate for President of the United States. At no point is Morris allowed to exercise good judgment; he instead gets to alternate between a dogmatic fastidiousness to his so-called beliefs and total morale failings. I get that having the characters be extraordinarily intelligent would distract from what is supposed to be an examination of how individual poor choices can snare these powerful men, but it becomes hard to give credence to the notion that these characters would be in the position of being a serious contender for the office of the President or high level campaign staffers.
The language isn't evocative of those either in power or desirous of office. In this regards, it feels as though the script had been dumbed down so as to not to alienate audiences with the educated lingo these men should be using on a regular basis. But that means giving up on authenticity or poetic moments, and that hurts the film.
Oh, and there is another huge problem the script cannot overcome. The daughter of the head of the DNC is working on the campaign, and none of the life-long Democratic politicians or staffers seem to know who she is or take efforts to make sure to limit her involvement (as her father would likely have done if he wanted to maintain an appearance of impartiality between the candidates). Worse, for being the daughter of a powerful life-long politician, she is hopelessly naive in regards to the egos and wants of men of power. That she isn't even given something as reasonable as daddy issues as part of her motivation shows that she is not so much a character but a means to moving the poorly planned out plot forward.

There is some good acting in The Ides of March, but with the poor writing and workman-like (at best) approach to cinematography and editing, it cannot rise about the level of passable. Maybe this works on a smaller scale, such as the stage, where more attention has to be paid to the characters and the dialogue, but given a larger canvas it only paints a less than earnest mess. I'm sure those involved thought they had a film that was making a statement, but I doubt that they realized that statement was 'we should do a better job of showcasing the world in which we set our story.'

1493 - Christopher Columbus returns to Spain, concluding his first voyage to the Western Hemisphere.

1603 - Samuel de Champlain, French navigator and explorer, sails for the New World.

1776 - U.S. Congress resolves that authority of British Crown should be suppressed.

1848 - Hungarian intellectuals stage bloodless revolution in Budapest against Austro-Hungarian empire. It is put down by Russian troops the next year.

1874 - France assumes protectorate over central Indochina region of Annam, which breaks off vassalage to China.

1875 - The Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York City, John McCloskey, is named the first American cardinal by Pope Pius IX.

1894 - France and Germany agree on boundaries between French Congo and Cameroons.

1903 - British conquest of northern Nigeria is complete.

1913 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson holds the first open presidential news conference.

1916 - U.S. force of 12,000 soldiers under Gen. John Pershing is ordered to Mexico to capture revolutionary leader Pancho Villa.

1917 - Czar Nicholas II of Russia abdicates after humiliating defeat by the Germans. The Russian state and military begin to dissolve.

1919 - The American Legion is founded in Paris.

1937 - The world's first blood bank is established at Chicago's Cook County Hospital by Dr. Bernard Fantus. It is a breakthrough for surgical procedures and emergency treatments.

1938 - Nazi Germany seizes Czechoslovakia with little resistance, after having annexed the Sudetenland, with its fortifications, the previous year.

1988 - Israeli authorities impose travel ban on Palestinians in occupied territories.

1989 - Soviet Union's President Mikhail S. Gorbachev calls for rapid measures to ease chronic Soviet food shortages.

1990 - Iraq executes London newspaper reporter, Farzad Bazoft, after a closed-trial conviction for spying.

1991 - Serbian President Borisav Jovic resigns after the collective presidency fails to declare a nationwide state of emergency.

1992 - A second earthquake in a short time strikes eastern Turkey, killing an estimated 800 people.

Leah remini fired

2012-03-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

Leah remini fired

leah remini fired - Leah Remini fired from 'The Talk': Sharon Osbourne's fault, she says Leah Remini has remained mostly silent about her ouster from CBS' "The Talk" last summer. But she took to Twitter on Monday to reveal the suspected reason for her firing: Sharon Osbourne.

"Sharon thought me and Holly were 'ghetto'" she tweeted. "We were not funny, awkward and didn't know ourselves. She has the power that was given to her."

In December, Osbourne and the current co-hosts appeared on Howard Stern's satellite radio show and Stern brought up the subject of the fired former co-hosts. At the time, he wondered if it was Julie Chen, wife of CBS President and Chief Executive Les Moonves, who was behind the firings. But Osbourne quickly spoke up, saying: "Some people don't really know who they are. You have to know who you are when you're in something like this. You can't pretend to be something you're not."

Osbourne responded on Twitter on Tuesday, writing: "In response to Leah Remini's continuous comments that I had her fired from "The Talk," let me just go on the record to say I had absolutely nothing to do with her departure from the show and have no idea why she continues to take to Twitter to spread this false gossip."

Remini, who is currently filming a pilot for ABC, claimed she didn't know the reasons behind her firing until Osbourne discussed it on Stern's show. Then she responded to fans on Twitter, saying "I will not respond to Sharon BUT only to say this, IF she wanted to clear it up she has my number & has had ALL this time and didnt use it.not even to say she was sorry. so to Sharon I say... Well done Sharon, you won. I will move on now as you suggested. And so should u. Be at Peace."

brown recluse most dangerous spider

2012-03-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

brown recluse most dangerous spider

brown recluse most dangerous spider - Brown Recluse Now The Most Dangerous Spider, Due to warming trends across the country increasing its population, the brown recluse spider has been called the most dangerous spider to humans in the United States.

The brown recluse is normally seen in central southern states, but now graduate student Erin Saupe of University of Kansas who conducted a study on the spider said, “a changing climate could make parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Nebraska and South Dakota suitable for it by 2020. It’s not the amount of space that’s changing, but the area it covers.”

With the rise in population there is an increase with human interaction raising bite cases.

The spider who is also nicknamed the ‘violin spider’ is identifiable by its markings on the dorsal side of their cephalothorax, with a black line coming from it that looks like a violin with the neck of the violin pointing to the rear of the spider.

Usually the spiders are not aggressive and rarely bite. There was one documented case in Kansas where a family of four was removed from a home which saw over 2,000 brown recluse spiders collected. No one in the family was ever bitten.

Bites usually come when they are pressed flat against the skin, as if between an article of clothing and the skin or in gloves and shoes.

If bitten however, the sometimes deadly toxic venom can cause major problems. One being necrosis, which is the premature death of cells in living tissue caused by infection and toxin, resulting in something that resembles a flesh eating decease. The bite area could grow to several inches in diameter of dead tissue and can lead to amputations of body parts or more seriously death.

It was researched that 37% of all recluse bites result in necrosis.

Odd names in the news

2012-01-26T02:56:00.000-08:00

Odd names in the news

Odd names in the news - In case you missed it, music power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z just welcomed a baby girl and, like many celebs before them, named her something unusual. Between that and a strangely named Wisconsin man making the news lately, we compiled a list of some of the more unique names to make the news.

Beyoncé & Jay-Z's baby

Singing sensation Beyoncé and rapper husband Jay-Z welcomed a baby girl on Jan. 7. Her proud papa candidly opens up about his little one in the new song "Glory" .

Covelli Loyce Crisp

Oakland Athletics player Crisp got his nickname from his siblings growing up, who said he looked like someone on this cereal box.

A PETA staffer

The man formerly known as Dan Carron, a PETA Foundation staffer from Michigan, changed his name to highlight the treatment of circus animals, one of PETA's new campaigns.

An Oregon man

The name Douglas Allen Smith Jr. wasn't exciting enough for one Oregon sports medicine student, who was sick of his mail getting mixed up with that of his dad, Douglas Allen Sr. Watch the video to learn more about the man behind the name change.

Former pro skier

This former pro ski racer went nameless for her first year and a half of life, as her parents waited for her to name herself. She responded to this name in her early days.

A Missouri man

The Missouri resident changed his name when finalizing his divorce from his third wife. Why the change? He says it's a tribute to this legendary heavy metal band.

George Foreman's sons

Variety is not the spice of life for famous grillmaster George Foreman. The two-time heavyweight boxing champion has five sons, all named something familiar.

A Seattle man

Seattle resident Jason Burrows changed his middle name to honor a character from "Transformers."

An arrested man

Busted! A man recently arrested in Wisconsin made the news for his tongue twister of a name, which may remind you of this children's song.

A PETA intern

PETA intern Jennifer Thornburg was just 19 when she changed her name to protest animal dissections in school. The name change reflected PETA's anti-dissection website.

A New York man

Holy smokes! The Manhattan resident formerly known as Jose Espinal took on a more religious name in 2005.

A former NBAer

Former NBA player Lloyd Bernard Free changed his name to reflect the nickname given to him during his childhood.

An aspiring politician

The aspiring Idaho politician changed his name to highlight his abortion stance. He ran for governor of Idaho in 2006 and Idaho State Senate in 2010.

An LA man

Los Angeles resident Michael Buday tried to change his name when he married his wife but discovered it wasn't possible. He sued and won. Why did he make the switch?

A New Jersey couple's kids

Not fond of your name? Think about the three oldest kids of New Jersey couple Heath and Deborah Campbell, who were given Nazi-inspired names. The couple lost custody of the children a few years ago and recently lost custody of their newborn

A New Zealand girl

A New Zealand judge made a 9-year-old girl the ward of the court so that the bizarre name her parents gave her could be changed.

Ron Artest

Good news! World peace has arrived. Professional basketball player and rapper Ron Artest changed his name in fall 2011.

An Israeli man

We're not sure a certain Facebook employee will be friending software developer Rotem Guez after the Israeli man legally changed his name.

An Illinois man

Steve Kreuscher, a resident of Zion, Ill., made the second of seven planned religious names changes in 2010. What was his first name change?

man call 911 fight a cop

2012-01-25T16:08:00.000-08:00

man call 911 fight a cop

man call 911 fight a cop - Man allegedly makes strange 911 call, An Illinois man was arrested after he allegedly called 911 and said he wanted to fight a cop. When officers got to his home, they say he began pushing and shoving them, and he was taken to jail.

A 38-year-old Willowbrook man accused of calling 911 and asking to fight a police officer faces felony battery and resisting arrest charges, police said on Monday. Police said John R. Pacella, of the 200 block of Stanhope Drive, was arrested after a 911 call from a man who “wanted to see an officer because he wanted to fight with them” about 4 a.m. on Jan. 19, police said. When officers arrived at Pacella’s home, he shoved the officers, according to a police report. Pacella was booked into DuPage County Jail, where he remains on $100,000 bail, according to jail records. He is charged with aggravated battery, resisting a police officer, and battery with intent to provoke or insult – all felonies – records indicate. Willowbrook police say they have had prior contact with Pacella, who is registered sex offender.
This has to be every cop’s dream, right? I mean this is why you work those shitty hours, this is why you lift all them weights. Some registered sex offender calls up the police station and challenges the force to a good old-fashioned dust-up. I feel like every other night has to suck as a cop. Dangerous as hell, you see effed up shit, and you gotta deal with the scum of the earth. So answering that call had to feel like employee appreciation day for the Willowbrook Cops.

But…that’s where this story takes a turn. I mean that mug shot sure as hell doesn’t look like a photo of a guy who just got tuned up by Chicago Cops. He’s grinning like an idiot. I was fully expecting this dude to be a bloody mess. Then, on top of that…this guy got arrested and charged with three different felonies. Umm…it takes two to tango. If the Cops want to oblige this guy and show up at his house for a fight, that’s fine. Go nuts. But after the guy is beaten to a pulp I think that’s the end of it. If they didn’t want to fight, just don’t show up. To show up to a fight, refuse to fight, then arrest the guy anyways like a violation of guy-code.

Fiona Apple New Album

2012-01-25T03:08:00.000-08:00

Fiona Apple New Album

Fiona Apple New Album - Fiona Apple releasing new album, Singer Fiona Apple, 34, is preparing to make a big music comeback. An "X Factor" judge announced on Twitter that the singer is set to release a new album this year. Apple hasn’t released any new music since 2005.

“Lots of good music coming from Welcome back Fiona!” the veteran executive and X Factor judge tweeted. For confirmation, a follower asked for Fiona clarification to which Reid replied, “YES Fiona Apple!”

Since breaking out in 1997 with the ahead-of-its-time hit “Criminal,” which came complete with heroin-chic-flavored video (see below),

Apple has developed a devout cult following despite little output (her last album, 2005’s Extraordinary Machine, sold 500,000 copies but fizzled fairly quickly). Still, the singer made reference to having completed an album at a recent appearance at Los Angeles’ Largo, where she accompanied longtime producer and venue regular Jon Brion.

Reid revealed no further details in his Twitter feed, but we can can anticipate his future comments now: that it will be epic.

Wikileaks TV Show

2012-01-25T02:56:00.000-08:00

Wikileaks TV Show

Wikileaks TV Show - WikiLeaks launching TV show? Julian Assange, founder of the controversial website WikiLeaks, announced plans to start his own television series. The show is said to feature in-depth conversations with people from all over the world. It's slated to debut this March in 10 weekly 30-minute episodes. No word on which station will carry the show.
Julian Assange, the founder of the controversial whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, on Tuesday announced he will be hosting a series of TV specials to interview political figures about ‘the world tomorrow’.
WikiLeaks said in a statement that the series. produced by Quick Roll Productions, will begin airing in mid-March in ten weekly half-hour episodes. It said ‘initial licensing commitments’ cover more than 600 million viewers across cable, satellite and terrestrial broadcast networks but gave no other details. It also asked broadcasters to contact them to license the series.

“Through this series I will explore the possibilities for our future in conversations with those who are shaping it,” Assange said in the statement. “Are we heading towards utopia, or dystopia and how we can set our paths? This is an exciting opportunity to discuss the vision of my guests in a new style of show that examines their philosophies and struggles in a deeper and clearer way than has been done before.”
WikiLeaks said Assange will draw together ‘controversial voices’ from across the political spectrum to hear their views on the world tomorrow and their ideas on how to secure a brighter future. The website did not say which guests Assange plans to interview on his TV show.

Assange is currently fighting extradition from Britain to Sweden where he faces allegations of sexual molestation, unlawful coercion and rape. A London court dismissed Assange’s appeal in November 2011 and he is expected to appeal the ruling in the United Kingdom’s highest court next month.
The accusations are unrelated to Assange’s work for the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks which brought diplomatic earthquakes to the United States when it began releasing classified documents it had obtained. Assange has claimed the cases have been politically-linked, arguing that the sexual encounters with the two women in Sweden were consensual.

Wikileaks’ first big scoop was on April 5, 2010, when it released a classified video which showed a 2007 U.S. helicopter attack in Iraq which left several civilians killed, including two unarmed Reuters journalists. Assange previously said he had been told to expect ‘dirty tricks’ from the Pentagon, including ‘sex traps’ to ruin his reputation.

Dentist Paper Clips Root Canals

2012-01-25T02:40:00.000-08:00

Dentist Paper Clips Root Canals

Dentist Paper Clips Root Canals - Dentist used paper clips in root canals, Michael Claire, a Massachusetts dentist, has pleaded guilty to $130,000 in Medicaid fraud. Among other things, he used parts of paper clips in root canals instead of stainless steel posts. In addition, Claire, 53, was charged with providing patients with illegal prescriptions.

A former dentist has pleaded guilty to Medicaid fraud for using sections of paper clips instead of stainless steel posts in root canals in an effort to save money.

Michael Clair, who had a practice in Fall River, is scheduled to be sentenced next week. He pleaded guilty Friday to defrauding Medicaid of $130,000, assault and battery, illegally prescribing prescription drugs and witness intimidation charges.

Some of Clair's patients reported infections after he performed root canals on them, said Grant Woodman, a spokesman for state Attorney General Martha Coakley, whose office prosecuted Clair.
Prosecutors say Clair was suspended by Medicaid in 2002 but continued filing by using the names of other dentists in his practice.

Clair's license to practice dentistry was suspended in Massachusetts in July 2006. Woodman said Clair is no longer licensed to practice dentistry in any state.
Clair's lawyer, John Dingee, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday. The 53-year-old Clair now lives in Crofton, Md.
James Kulild, a professor of endodontics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry, said there are very limited circumstances under which a paper clip could be used during dental procedures. He said a paper clip should never be left in permanently.

Daniel Radcliffe Allen Ginsberg

2012-01-25T02:28:00.000-08:00

Daniel Radcliffe Allen Ginsberg

Daniel Radcliffe Allen Ginsberg - Daniel Radcliffe to play Allen Ginsberg, "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe, 22, will portray poet Allen Ginsberg n the upcoming film "Kill Your Darlings". The movie is described as a thriller that will capture how a murder in 1944 draws the great poets of the beat generation together. It's expected in theaters next year.

Dan Radcliffe might be working on a script no one will want to see, but his next is a movie we're definitely interested in.

Twitch reports that Radcliffe is allegedly up for the part of Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in the upcoming film "Kill Your Darlings." The role originally belonged to Jesse Eisenberg when the movie was first announced, but sources close to Twitch say Radcliffe is apparently taking his place. The former "Harry Potter" star will reportedly get started on the production after he finishes his run on Broadway in "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying."

The film, created by writer-director John Krokidas, is a thriller based on actual events that occurred between famous authors Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and Lucien Carr.

Carr is credited for bringing together Ginsberg, Kerouac and William S Burroughs in friendship, but he also famously served time in 1944 for murdering his lover David Kammerer. It's unclear what the exact plot of the movie is, but that last little factoid definitely ties in to the film's plot.

Chris Evans was originally supposed to be playing Kerouac and Ben Whishaw was attached to play Carr back when the flick was first announced, but it's unclear whether they're still attached to it or whether Krokidas will assemble a new cast. It will be interesting to see what spin Radcliffe gives on the poet, especially in lieu of James Franco just playing him in the well-received movie "Howl." Maybe he will be able to relate to Ginsberg over the fact he's starting to write some pretty good poetry.

Man Accidentally Wins Lottery

2012-01-25T02:21:00.000-08:00

Man Accidentally Wins Lottery

Man Accidentally Wins Lottery - Man Accidentally Wins Lottery - Man wins lottery by mistake, A Madison, Wisc., man unknowingly hit the jackpot in the state's Megabucks lottery. Napolean Elvord, who is a Vietnam veteran in need of an organ transplant, says he thought he played another game. Days later he says he found the ticket at his home and realized he won after accidentally playing the wrong game.

Winning the lottery is all about luck — or is it about accidentally buying a ticket thinking it's one game instead of another? Either way, one Wisconsin man won the $14.3 million Megabucks pot, but was oblivious to his windfall for three days.

The employees of the gas station where the winning ticket was sold wondered about who had scored the big payday, says the Wisconsin State Journal, and hoped it was one of their regulars, Napolean, a veteran in need of a kidney transplant.

Employees say they even asked him if he was the big winner, and Napolean said it wasn't. But as no one claimed the ticket, workers pressed him again, and it turns out that he had been looking at the wrong day's results.

Beyond that, he didn't even mean to buy a Megabucks ticket, but had let a customer go in front of him.

"I think it was a mistake because I was trying to play the Powerball," he told the paper.

He found the ticket at home and brought it into the lottery office, where they were confused as most people who show up already know they've won. He's opting for a $10.2 million lump sum, or $6.87 million after taxes. He says he'll take care of health insurance first and then move to his warmer home state of Texas.

woman soda can deposit

2012-01-25T01:04:00.000-08:00

woman soda can deposit

woman soda can deposit - Woman busted in soda scheme, A Massachusetts woman was arrested after she reportedly bought $64 worth of soda using a stolen card. Nation's Poorest 1% Now Controls Two-Thirds Of U.S. Soda Can Wealth Police say she then put the full cans into the store's automated redemption machine. She faces property destruction charges because the full cans caused extensive damage to the machine A report on growing.

disparities in the concentration of U.S. aluminum-can wealth, released Tuesday by the Department of Commerce, revealed that 66 percent of the nation's recyclable assets are now held by the poorest 1 percent of the population.

According to the sobering report, the disproportionate distribution of soda-can wealth is greater than ever before, and has become one of the worst instances of economic inequality in the nation's history. Data showed that over-salvaging of cans by a small and elite group of can-horders has created a steadily growing and possibly unbridgeable gap between the rich and the mega-poor.
"Although our nation's upper middle class actually consumes the most beverages, a staggering percentage of these cans wind up in the hands of a very few," said economist Cynthia Pierce, who worked as a consultant on the three-year, $14 million government study. "It's a troubling trend. And as a tiny fraction of the population continues to maintain its stranglehold on redeemable can wealth, it's a trend that shows no sign of slowing."

According to Pierce, the study points to a distinct economic advantage for the most can-affluent—those who possess the resources necessary to collect, transport, separate, and accumulate more and more cans than the rest of the population.

"Members of this exclusive group come from exceedingly poor backgrounds and have access to outrageously low levels of education, which makes them much better prepared to reap the benefits of digging around in garbage," Pierce added.

The report details several key factors involved in the lopsided distribution of container wealth, including aggressive foraging, which leads to higher returns on deposits and a tendency to reinvest can profits in additional redeemables, such as beer. In addition, the report found that those involved in the returnable-gathering industry often minimize financial risk by diversifying between aluminum cans and glass-bottle holdings.

While less than 1 percent of Americans own the domestic rights to a majority of Coca-Cola and Pepsi cans, this same group has also cornered the international market by branching out into such imported container commodities as Fanta and Perrier.

"The typical American spends an average of $65 on beverages for every dollar he or she earns back through redeemable deposits, and the rest of that money goes to the country's can and bottle barons," the report stated. "Americans who are at a foraging disadvantage due to over-employment and home ownership therefore have limited access to these discarded commodities, causing the market to unfairly favor those with an exclusively disposables income."
Perhaps more alarming, the report continued, the can monopoly enjoyed by the poorest 1 percent has been unintentionally buoyed by millions of environment-conscious Americans who leave plastic bags full of recycling in front of their homes, which are in turn preyed upon by enterprising collectors.

"These people were born into a lifestyle, often going back generations, where any can left on the street is seen as their birthright, whether they purchased it or not," Houston resident Dale Palmer said. "They have the knowledge and ability to get out there and scoop up all the good cans before anyone even knew they were there."

The vast disparity in can-wealth distribution is difficult to understand for many Americans. Most people, according to the report, cannot relate to the lifestyles of the super-poor, who never have to go to work, pay a mortgage, or struggle to find money for rent.

One canned individual cited in the study is can tycoon Will Dorsey, a 33-year-old Detroit resident who spent his childhood living off the funds collected from his family's vast can holdings. At the age of 16, Dorsey inherited five carts and dozens of garbage bags overflowing with recyclables when his father passed away unexpectedly one cold December morning.

According to economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, people like Dorsey, who maintain an ultra-poor lifestyle that is vastly different from the rest of the population, are egregiously out of touch with the everyday economic realities of mainstream America.

"Dorsey is one of those select few who come from old can money," Krugman said. "They're just hoarding their assets so nobody else can benefit. And then they parade down the street with their carts full of recycling."

In the wake of the report's disturbing findings, many citizens claim to feel exploited by those who convert their discarded property into cash or change without sharing the incredible profits.

"It's not fair," Chicago native Melissa Arnold said. "Something should be done to even the playing field."

In an attempt to mitigate the disparities in soda-can wealth distribution, Congress is currently exploring numerous options, including levying an 80 percent tax on the incomes of those possessing 100 or more refundable containers, with the ultimate goal of eliminating all recycling programs by 2010.

dog skull 33000

2012-01-25T00:54:00.000-08:00

Dog Skull 33000

dog skull 33000 - 33,000-year-old dog skull found, Dog skull dates back 33,000 years An ancient dog skull was recently discovered in a cave in Siberia. Scientists say the skull is some of the oldest known evidence of dog domestication. They say both findings suggest dogs came from more than one ancestor and from different geographic locations.

If you think a Chihuahua doesn't have much in common with a Rottweiler, you might be on to something.

An ancient dog skull, preserved in a cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia for 33,000 years, presents some of the oldest known evidence of dog domestication and, together with equally ancient dog remains from a cave in Belgium, indicates that domestication of dogs may have occurred repeatedly in different geographic locations rather than with a single domestication event.

In other words, man's best friends may have originated from more than one ancient ancestor, contrary to what some DNA evidence previously has indicated.

"Both the Belgian find and the Siberian find are domesticated species based on morphological characteristics," said Greg Hodgins, a researcher at the University of Arizona's Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory and co-author of the study that reports the find.

"Essentially, wolves have long thin snouts and their teeth are not crowded, and domestication results in this shortening of the snout and widening of the jaws and crowding of the teeth."

The Altai Mountain skull is extraordinarily well preserved, said Hodgins, enabling scientists to make multiple measurements of the skull, teeth and mandibles that might not be possible on less well-preserved remains. "The argument that it is domesticated is pretty solid," said Hodgins. "What's interesting is that it doesn't appear to be an ancestor of modern dogs."

The UA's Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory used radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the Siberian skull.

Radioactive carbon, or carbon-14, is one of three carbon isotopes. Along with naturally occurring carbon dioxide, carbon-14 reaches the surface of the Earth by atmospheric circulation, where plants absorb it into their tissues through photosynthesis.

Animals and humans take in carbon-14 by ingesting plants or other animals that have eaten plants. "Carbon-14 makes it into all organic molecules," said Hodgins. "It's in all living things."

"We believe that carbon-14 production is essentially constant over time," said Hodgins. "So the amount of carbon-14 present in living organisms in the past was similar to the levels in living organisms today. When an animal or plant dies, the amount of carbon-14 in its remains drops at a predictable rate, called the radioactive half-life. The half-life of radiocarbon is 5,730 years."

"People from all over the world send our laboratory samples of organic material that they have dug out of the ground and we measure how much carbon-14 is left in them. Based on that measurement, and knowing the radiocarbon half-life, we calculate how much time must have passed since the samples had the same amount of carbon-14 as plants and animals living today."

The researchers use a machine called an accelerator mass spectrometer to measure the amount of radioactive carbon remaining in a sample.

The machine works in a manner analogous to what happens when a beam of white light passes through a prism: White light separates into the colors of the rainbow.

The accelerator mass spectrometer generates a beam of carbon from the sample and passes it through a powerful magnet, which functions like a prism. "What emerges from it are three beams, one each of the three carbon isotopes," said Hodgins. "The lightest carbon beam, carbon-12, bends the most, and then carbon-13 bends slightly less and carbon-14 bends slightly less than that."

The relative intensities of the three beams represent the sample's carbon mass spectrum. Researchers compare the mass spectrum of an unknown sample to the mass spectra of known-age controls and from this comparison, calculate the sample's radiocarbon age.

At 33,000 years old, the Siberian skull predates a period known as the Last Glacial Maximum, or LGM, which occurred between about 26,000 and 19,000 years ago when the ice sheets of Earth's last ice age reached their greatest extent and severely disrupted the living patterns of humans and animals alive during that time. Neither the Belgian nor the Siberian domesticated lineages appear to have survived the LGM.

However, the two skulls indicate that the domestication of dogs by humans occurred repeatedly throughout early human history at different geographical locations, which could mean that modern dogs have multiple ancestors rather than a single common ancestor.

"In terms of human history, before the last glacial maximum people were living with wolves or canid species in widely separated geographical areas of Euro-Asia, and had been living with them long enough that they were actually changing evolutionarily," said Hodgins.

"And then climate change happened, human habitation patterns changed and those relationships with those particular lineages of animals apparently didn't survive."

"The interesting thing is that typically we think of domestication as being cows, sheep and goats, things that produce food through meat or secondary agricultural products such as milk, cheese and wool and things like that," said Hodgins.

"Those are different relationships than humans may have with dogs. The dogs are not necessarily providing products or meat. They are probably providing protection, companionship and perhaps helping on the hunt. And it's really interesting that this appears to have happened first out of all human relationships with animals."

man smoking pot flight

2012-01-25T00:44:00.000-08:00

man smoking pot flight

man smoking pot flight - Man caught smoking pot on flight, Police arrested a man for allegedly smoking marijuana on a US flight. Crew members say they became suspicious of the man after he dropped a clear plastic bag in the cabin. They also said they noticed a strong smell from him on the planeA man faces drug charges after allegedly smoking marijuana on a JetBlue flight to Newark, New Jersey.

Airport police say 43-year-old Adam Blumenkranz claimed he had the drug for medicinal purposes.

Crew members from Flight 510 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, say they became suspicious on Monday when Blumenkranz dropped a clear plastic bag in the cabin.

As the plane approached Newark Liberty International Airport, the crew reported the man entered the lavatory.

Port Authority police spokesman Al Della Fave said that is when a flight attendant knocked on the bathroom door.

When he emerged, attendants said there was a strong smell of marijuana.

According to NJ.com, Blumenkranz told police who met him at the gate in Terminal A that he was permitted to use marijuana for medical reasons, and produced a bag of marijuana and a glass pipe for smoking it, prompting his arrest.

Blumenkranz was charged with possession of less than 50 grams of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and released.

Blumenkranz, who told police he is from Los Angeles, could not be reached for comment.

Two telephone listings for him were disconnected.

NJ.com reports the Willshire Boulevard address he gave authorities is an office where a company official said Blumenkranz used to receive his mail but no longer had any connection to the company.

whitney port wardrobe malfunction

2012-01-25T00:29:00.000-08:00

Whitney Port Wardrobe Malfunction: Star Loses Bikini Top in Florida

whitney port wardrobe malfunction - Whitney Port has near nip-slip, Former "The Hills" star Whitney Port, 26, almost lost her bikini top while on vacation. Port was apparently enjoying a swim when her bandeau top came undone.

However, the reality star's quick reflexes helped save her from revealing too much.
Reality star Whitney Port had an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction in Florida. She lost her bikini top and nearly bared her breasts to the entire world. The 26-year-old was taking a dip in the pool with a mystery man when her top popped off. Could her dark-haired beau have been responsible for loosening the clasp? Perhaps, since the two could not keep their hands off each other.

Thankfully, the star was able to grab the cream lace bandeau bikini just before her entire boobs were revealed. The resulting pictures still show plenty, and they look surprisingly like the Golshifteh Farahani Nude Photos, which have caused such an uproar in Iran. Shortly after her near nip slip, The City star and her mystery beau took a taxi for a romantic dinner in Miami, Florida where she is vacationing.

Soon, the TV star will hit the silver screen in What to Expect When You're Expecting. Whitney Port stars in the movie along with big names like Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks and even Cheryl Cole. Soon, her name is going to be much bigger in the U.S. This wardrobe malfunction likely did not hurt with the name recognition either.